Heney a



(No Model.)

H. A. SEYMOUR.

BOX OR TRUNK FASTENER 0R GATGH.

No. 323,830. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

Usare@ Smarts j 'PATENT miren.,

HENRY A. SEYMOUR, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THECORBIN .CABINET LOCK COMPANY, OF NEV BRITAIN, CONN.

BOX OR TRUNK FASTENER OR CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming lpart of Letters Patent No. 323,830, dated August4, 1885.

Application filed May 9, 1885.

.T @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY A. SEYMOUR, of Vashington, in the District oi'Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in B0X orTrunk Fasteners or Catches; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in box or trunk fasteners orcatches.

Heretofore trunk-fasteners as ordinarily constructed have been providedwith a loop or hasp having a spring connected therewith to retain it ineither a locked or unlocked position, the loop or hasp being hinged toone plate and its outer or free end moved into and out of engagementwith a projection on the opposite plate. To insure the ready operationof this type of fastener it is necessary to provide sufficient space orplay between the free end of the loop and the projection or keeper aswill prevent a snug and tight inter- 2 5 locking of the dowel-and-socketfastening on the meeting edges of the two plates of the fastener, andhence a certain amount of lateral strain is imposed on the loop or haspand the trunk-lock in the rough handling of a trunk.-

snap-loop, the spring must be relied upon to preserve the integrity ofthe fastener, because the breakage of the spring renders the fastenerworthless.

The object of my invention is to provide a trunk-fastener with a loop orhasp and a device connected therewith for locking the same by a cam oreccentric locking action, whereby one end of the loop or hasp is movedover or past the pivotal center of the locking device.

Afurther object is to provide a trunk-fastener of such construction thatthelocking-loop may engage the ends and sides of projections on the twoplates of the fastener and lock be-y neath a rigid lip on the end of oneof the projections.

Vith these ends in view my invention con- 5@ sists in certain featuresof construction and Again, in trunk-fasteners having a springactuatedloop or hasp, or what is known as a (N o model.)

combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointedoutin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of one form ofmyimproved trunki fastener in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a 55similar view showing thefastener in its un-- locked position. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section showing the parts in position for fastening thelid to the trunk; and Fig. t is a similar view showing the partsin'their unlocked 6o position. Fig. 5 is an edge view showing theposition of the parts when the loop is being interlocked with the rigidlip on the opposite plate. Y

A represents a plate adapted to be fastened to the lid of a trunk, and Ba plate to be fastcned to the body of the trunk; or the parts may bereversed on the trunk, if desired. Plate B is formed with a box orprojection, c, in the upper end of which is provided a socket, 7o b,within which engages a dowel, c, that projects downwardly from the loweredge of plate A. Theobject of the dowel-andsocket fast- 'ening is toinsure the interlocking of the two plates in such a manner as to preventany endwise or transverse movement of the trunklid on the trunk-body,and thus relieve the trunk-lock, and also the fastener loop or hasp,from lateral or transverse strains.

C is a lever pivoted in the lower end of the projection a, and near itsouter surface. Dif-y ferent methods of pivoting the leverl may beresorted to. In the drawings I have represented a shaft, d, secured tothe end of the lever and projecting from opposite sides thereof, to formtrunnions e, which are supported in bearings f,formed in the side wallsof the projection a.

D is a loop, the end cross-bar, g, of which is pivoted to the under sideof the lever C, lwhile the cross-bar h on its free end' engages theprojection c' on the plate A, and' may be moved beneath the rigid lip jon the upper end of the projection.

Figs. 2 and 4. represent the parts of the fastener when the trunk isunlocked. The loop and lever in this position are suspended from theprojection on thev plate B and lie fiat against the surface of thetrunk-body, not projecting therefrom so as to catch on wearing- Iooapparel, and leaving no part of the fastener extending above the edge ofthe trunkbody. To secure the loop in its locked position it is turnedinto the position shown in Fig. 5, and the free end of the lever raisedunt-il the loop has been moved endwise or elevated a distance sufficientto cause the cross-bar h on its free end to ride over the rigid lip jand drop into the groove Z in the upper end of the projection i. Thelower end of the lever C is then depressed, which operates to draw theloop downwardly and cause the cross-bar h to enter the groove Z, andthus securely retain the free end of the loop against displacement. Byforcing the lever against the plate B the lower cross-bar, g, of theloop is carried inwardly and past the pivotal center of the lever, asillustrated in Fig. 8, thereby producing a firm and secure lockingengagement, and one in which any strain exerted on the lid and tendingto open it will operate to draw the lever more firmly against its plateor bearing and prevent the lifting of the loop and its consequentunfastening. The drawing or pulling action of the loop in the operationof fastening the trunk-lid to the body serves to force the dowel csnuglyinto its socket b and prevent any play or lost movement between theadjacent edges of the two plates ofthe fastener, and thus effectuallyrelieve the loop as well as the trunk-lock from lateral strain.

The end cross -bar g of the loop engages the lower end wall, K, of theprojection a, while its end cross-bar h engages within the grooves orundercut upper end of the projection i on the upper plate, and thusrigidly ties together the two plates of the fastener. The side bars, l',of the loop engage the side walls of the two projections, and thus serveto reenforce the fastening so as to withstand lateral strain thereon.with a groove, my, in which is received the le ver, so that its uppersurface will be flush with the surface of the plate, and thereby beprevented from being bent or broken in use. A thumb-slot, n, is formedin the lower plate, into which projects the lower and free end of theactuating-lever, thereby enabling it to be readily operated by thefinger in unlocking the fastening.

It is evident that many modied constructions of fastener embodying theimprovement might be resorted to without avoiding the spirit of theinvention. In the construction of the different parts of the device theplates may be made of cast or of sheet metal. The two plates may beinterlocked by one or more dowels and sockets, which latter may beconstructed and arranged as desired. The loop may be of any form incross-section conducive to strength and a flush even outer surface ofthe fastener. Instead of a loop, a solid barlatch may be employed and aloop used to serve as a lever. Instead of arranging the lever to move toand from the surface of the trunk, it may be arranged to move in a planeThe lower plate is formed therewith. Again, instead of providing theupper plate with a projection, as described, it may have a slot orrecess for the reception of a project-ion on the free end of the loop orlatch to interlock therewith, hence I would have it understood that I donot restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangement ofparts shown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a trunk fastener, the combination, with two plates, of a loop orhasp connected to one plate and adapted to be detachably se cured to theother plate, and a locking device pivotally connected to the hasp-plate,and adapted to move one end of the loop or hasp past the pivotal centerof the locking device in fastening and unfastening the loop or hasp,substantially as set forth.

2. In a trunk fastener, the combination, with two plates provided withinterlocking dowel and socket, of a loop or hasp and a lever forimparting an endwise movement to said loop or hasp in fastening andunfastening the same, and for carrying it past the pivotal center of thelever to retain it against displacement, substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe combination, with two plates provided with interlocking doweland socket, and each constructed with a projection, of aA loop or hasppivoted to a lever connected to one plate and adapted to be locked oversaid projections, substantially as set forth.

4L. The combination, with two plates, each provided with a projection,the projection on one plate being undercut at one end, of a leverpivoted to one of the plates and a loop or hasp pivoted to said lever,and adapted to be swung over said projections and then moved endwise, tocarry one end thereof into engage:

IOO

ment with the undercut or grooved end of one projection, and to have itsopposite end carried past the pivotal center of said lever to lock itagainst displacement, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with two plates adapted to be attached to the lidand body of a trunk or box, respectively, one plate being provided withan undercut projection, of a loop or hasp and a lever pivotallyconnected to one of the plates and to one end of the loop or hasp, andadapted to impart an endwise movement to the loop or hasp in locking andunlocking the same, and to carry it past the pivotal center of thelever, substantially as set forth.

6. In a trunkfastener,the combination, with two plates adapted to befastened to the lid and body of a trunk, respectively, said plates beingprovided with interlocking dowel and sockel', of a loop or hasp and alever connected therewith to impart a cam or eccentric movement to saidloop or hasp in locking the same, whereby the two plates are drawntogether and the loop or hasp carried past the pivotal Center of thelever in looking and uu- In testimony whereof I have signed this 1olocking the same, substantially as set forth. specification in thepresence of two subscrib- 7. In atruuk-fastener, the eombination,withing witnesses.

two plates, each being provided with a, look- 5 ing projection, of alever pivoted to one end HENRY A. SEYMOUR.

of the projection on one plate, and a loop or A hasp pivotally connectedto said lever 'and Vfitnesses: adapted to engage the proj eotion on theother S. G. NOTTINGHAM, plate, substantially as set forth. GEO. F.DOWNING.

